Category: Philippine Star

Where are the researchers? At a time when the nation and her citizens rage over the billions of alleged corruption by various flood control projects nationwide, the search for more researchers came up.

The question surfaced during a budget hearing in the Senate for the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). Sen. Francis Pangilinan cited World Bank data that Philippine numbers are below the average numbers for a middle-income country. A check on the said data from the World Bank shows that the Philippines, as of 2018, only has 170 researchers per million people.

The number does not come as a surprise considering that the country has more pressing socio-economic problems, compounded by governance constraints and challenges. As well, Philippine higher educational institutions, the hubs to start off research projects, remain teaching-oriented even if research and community service serve as co-equal functions of a university.

Are there even ‘research universities’ in the Philippines? Dr. Feorillo Demeterio of De La Salle University was frank in a 2022 talk: ‘The reason why it is very difficult to undertake research in our country is that we do not have real research universities to train our researchers and mentors. We now hear more and more frequently the words ‘research university,’ but there are only very few people in our country who understand the meaning of these words.’

What about the professors? Demeterio gives a food for thought: ‘If we continue to fool ourselves that we already have research universities in our country, then we will not be able to address the big problem that we have: Why it is very difficult for faculty members to undertake research?’

Studies over a decade apart have answered such a question. A qualitative study of university professors (N=40, from varied disciplines) by Rose Marie Clemeña and Sherlyne Acosta gave three issues: One, research is an add-on activity beside professors’ usual teaching and/or administrative duties. Two, professors interviewed have limited passion for research, much more feel uncomfortable to do research. And three, pairing research and teaching ‘is dysfunctional,’ with either task distracting the other for professors working in a teaching university.’

More than a decade later, a collaborative study led by Dr. Allan de Guzman of the University of Santo Tomas studied the researchers and attempted to understand their research journeys in various universities. The multi-pronged study recommended that if professors and lecturers are beginning researchers, they need to hurdle graduate education in aid of mentoring. For ‘early career researchers,’ support must be handed out on managing the tensions between being researchers and the non-research demands of university work.

For ‘established researchers’ seeking to widen their horizons as scientists, further training and capacity building and learning research practices elsewhere is needed. Finally, supporting ‘leading researchers’ should be directed to harmonize their work-life balance and situate their studies to the latest trends and priorities globally and nationally.

Mentoring matters, as the De Guzman-led study asserted, then what follows can be institutionalizing a research culture within a university. Within that environment, universities can build present and future pools of researchers. Outside of the university system, if graduates do research for government, private sector and civil society sectors, we can only hope that their sectors get ample support to directly address visible socio-economic problems through patents, policy-oriented studies, databases, and the like.

And admittedly, a Philippines that remains constrained with financial resources still has a long way to go in terms of research productivity. Even if today’s craze with world university rankings has pushed Philippine universities and colleges to accelerate research activities and publications, the county remains the least productive among Southeast Asia’s top six economies.

Using the Scopus database as source, the Spanish research thinktank SCImago shows the Philippines has produced 79,681 documents in Scopus (the world’s leading database for scholarly works). That number is at least half -or more- of what Malaysia (555,489), Singapore (465,685), Indonesia (447,794), Thailand (337,022) and Viet Nam (161,292) have produced. It seems that among the most populated countries in Asia, China, Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh have mustered their numbers and published more studies in the Scopus database than the Philippines.

Such is why you can’t blame some quarters if they feel that the Philippines may be deficient in research. Though, there’s passion even for a few to make Philippine universities produce more and more, with getting recognized internationally, the promotion schemes of universities and kudos on social media as carrots.

We have the ongoing work of the most productive Filipino researcher, physician Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno III (who just reached 400 documents in Scopus recently). He formed a consultancy group, Global Health Focus (GHF), that trains universities in developing countries (e.g., Africa, Eastern Europe, Central Asia), and in far-flung Philippine universities, on publishing in scholarly journals and on research methods. Even with a small team, the ten-year-old GHF roams around the country and trains throngs of researchers, then monitors the university’s publication performance.

Even if ‘victories’ include one or two new publications in Scopus, GHF and Prisno celebrate those wins to induce motivation to these universities. GHF even hands out recognitions -trophies and social media cards- to universities if they reach divisible-by-100 total papers in Scopus. He talks to university presidents and research leaders to induce more productivity, carrying a badge that GHF favors the underdogs. The Leyte native even gives running regional-level data of how universities fare in research productivity, a gentle push that rattles universities in the peripheries.

Amid the approach to induce positive psychology unto these universities, Prisno admits the Philippines still has a long way to go. Only 200-plus universities are visible in Scopus, out of nearly-2,000 higher educational institutions nationwide. Not even the top Philippine producer, the University of the Philippines System, can match the productivity of non-top three universities in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

We need to work harder Philippines, as Prisno would say on his Facebook account. ‘There is a need for the 2,000 universities and colleges in the Philippines to ramp up their research production as HEIs are considered to be the major contributors to the research outputs of any country,’ a September 8 post of his reads.

Earlier, in a July 13 post, Prisno says: ‘I would even say that research, which is one of the work pillars of universities, has never been a priority of the national agency CHED. Universities are just left behind.’

Philippine HEIs are doing the current best to make research a second-nature role, from thesis and dissertation writing to professor-produced work. Training sessions like what GHF is doing, and perhaps what universities and colleges do internally, form part of a solution to intensify research productivity individually and nationally.

The approach, even within an HEI’s department or an entire HEI, is what UST’s Dr. Joyce Arriola calls ‘research excellence framework’. That framework carries a research vision and mission, sets productivity targets, sets up a research assessment system for both researchers and the disciplines being handled, provides incentives (cash, promotions), and institutionalizes long-term infrastructural support.

Many Philippine HEIs still search for that research excellence framework, or even have yet to set up one. The itch to remain as teaching universities, and not see the dynamic interplay of research, teaching and community service, prevails. And admittedly, even to convince the ordinary university lecturer (either young or old) to see the fruits of being a researcher requires moving mountains.

Yes, financial resources, people’s limited research proficiencies, and low motivation prevail as constraints. Yet the Philippines still reels from visible socio-economic, scientific and political problems and deficiencies. The Philippine situation, for Demeterio, may require improvised solutions. Like, offering food to researchers while they’re writing, or running cost-efficient Zoom webinars on research skills that benefit multiple geographic areas.

If lawmakers are searching for the Filipino researchers, perhaps helping set up research ecosystems through cost-effective means (plus government support and push from leaders) may see younger Filipino researchers sprout and produce as much as they can. In the end, it is up to the universities, research groups and agencies if they want to motivate their flock about the gains of doing research for a beleaguered country.

After scoring a total of 10 points in his first three UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball games, University of the East’s Dray Caoile waxed hot for the Red Warriors against University of Santo Tomas Saturday.

Caoile had 15 points in the first quarter, and had 20 at the half. But with the Growling Tigers’ defense firmly focused on him, he finished with 23 markers in the 111-99 UE loss.

The defeat dropped the Red Warriors to a 0-4 win-loss record.

After the game, Caoile, a one-and-done guard for UE, said that while he was happy with his offensive outburst, his focus remains on getting a victory.

‘It definitely always feels good to have the shot going and playing with confidence but ultimately, I want to win, so that’s the only thing that bothers me,’ he said.

‘It feels good to have a good game,’ he added.

Prior to this game, Caoile scored four points twice in his first three games. Against University of the Philippines on September 28, he had two markers.

Through three starts, he averaged 3.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game on 29.4% shooting.

Against UST, though, Caoile shot 7-of-12 from the floor, had four assists, four rebounds and two steals.

‘It felt good. I mean, the shot was just falling. Shout out to my guys for just keep finding me. Hit one, just kept playing. Didn’t really think too much,’ he said.

Caoile underscored that he will continue to ‘keep playing his game’ and try to build on his best UAAP contest thus far.

‘Just keep being aggressive, keep making plays. When the ball comes to me, just take my shot, take a pass,’ he said.

‘[I will] just do what I can to help the team win. That’s scoring, that’s playmaking, rebounding, defense, whatever it is to win these games,’ he added.

Still, the goal remains the same – get a win and start rolling this season.

‘It’s definitely not where we want to be, but just take every loss as a lesson. Go back to film, go back to the drawing board, go back to practice,’ he stated.

‘And, I think we’ll make our run on the wins column soon.’

While Caoile had his career game, John Abate spearheaded UE with 27 points on 12-of-21 shooting. Precious Momowei had a monster double-double of 16 markers and 15 boards, while Mo Tanedo had 11 points.

Despite these stellar plays, it was not enough against the balanced UST team led by Nic Cabanero, who had 22 markers and eight dimes. Forthsky Padrigao and Collins Akowe chipped in 18 points apiece, while Amiel Acido and Mark Llemit had 11 each.

UE will try to grab its maiden win of the season on October 11 against Adamson at the Ateneo Blue Eagle Gym.

We have become a battered and traumatized people.

Notice how frantic we become when a storm threatens. Every precaution is taken. Work and school are suspended. We buckle down and expect the worst.

We are among the most disaster-prone countries in the world. But until lately, we have confronted calamity with a certain elan. We cultivated a certain confidence that we would always pull together and surmount the challenges we are fated to endure.

Some of that elan has dissipated. We have lost confidence in our public infrastructure. We fear that, because of corruption, our bridges would fall, our dams would break and our hospitals would collapse.

When a major quake struck northern Cebu a few days ago, patients were evacuated from the only hospital in Bogo City. People were reluctant to return to the facility even after engineers declared the hospital safe. They did not trust government engineers.

For days, people subsisted under plastic trash bags to keep out the rain, refusing the safety of evacuation centers. There is such distrust for edifices built under government contracts.

At the slightest rainfall, our streets flood. There is enough evidence that the ill-conceived flood control projects did not just fail to solve the problem. They aggravated the flooding. Many of these projects after all were intended simply to facilitate looting.

We have been betrayed by the political class. This fact taxes our pride in our nationhood.

Our government has failed us on every front. Our educational system was allowed to rot, leaving the next generation ill-equipped to thrive in the world ahead. Our public health system is barely there. Our agriculture is unable to feed our people. Our economy is unable to keep our people meaningfully employed.

The calamities that hit us are worsened by failure in governance. We wasted trillions in useless projects by a government that seeks to win acceptability through political patronage.

We cannot stop storms and earthquakes. But adept governance should have enabled us to mitigate their effects. Denied adept governance, robbed by those who are supposed to lead us, we have become more vulnerable as a community.

I was moved by a post circulating widely in social media. It read: How can we love our country if we cannot trust our government?

Dissembling

Indeed, how can we rebuild trust in government if the political class itself appears to be dissembling.

In the face of continuing revelations related to the public works scandals, the ruling majority’s grip on power appears to be weakening as our politicians turn against each other. Our congressmen and senators are now in open verbal warfare. The freshly installed majority in the Senate appears to be in danger of collapsing.

The dominant faction emerging after the election of Bongbong Marcos in 2022 seemed omnipotent at the beginning. But it succumbed to its own project of dynastic continuity.

The person in charge of this project, Martin Romualdez, attempted to change the Constitution early on. That attempt was so clumsily managed. It relied entirely on funding congressmen to gather signatures for Charter change. The congressmen simply pocketed the funds. The political project collapsed almost as soon as it began.

Unable to continue along the route of altering the constitutional order, the effort abruptly changed course. Again, relying on the illusory power of congressmen who simply wanted another source of funding, Romualdez and company targeted Vice President Sara Duterte. She was seen as a hindrance to dynastic continuity, vastly overshadowing Romualdez’s popularity.

The goal this time was to discredit Sara, have her impeached by a cooperative Senate and banned from holding public office.

This strategy seemed entirely doable. The congressmen of the majority coalition will sign anything in exchange for public works projects. We saw that when, on a moment’s notice, they lined up to sign the impeachment complaint last February.

But the Senate was not very cooperative. Nor was the Supreme Court, which pointed out the unconstitutionality by which the impeachment complaint was signed and delivered.

At this point, it does not seem possible to revive the discredited impeachment complaint. The transactional legislators will not likely cooperate with this sort of unpopular political project unless they are richly rewarded. The scandal over the looting of infra funds through congressional insertions guarantees there will be no funds available to win legislative support.

The project of dynastic continuity is now dead in the water. Its principal architect and intended beneficiary has been consigned to the gallery of political rogues. It is inconceivable he could ever be politically rehabilitated.

This political project had a fatal flaw. It was entirely reliant on transactional politics. Therefore, it needed a large volume of undocumented funds constantly flowing to buy political support. Such funds can only be produced through systematic looting of the budget. It required a mafia of legislators, bureaucrats and unscrupulous contractors to plunder public funds on a sustained basis.

The political project of dynastic continuity collapsed under the weight of unbridled greed. The perpetrators were not loyal to the political project. They pocketed the loot and betrayed their own principals.

The public works scandal did not just blow up in the faces of the main perpetrators. It blew up on the entire system of patronage politics that passed itself off as a democracy.

Now we need to reinvent our entire system of politics.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is ready to provide aid to the victims of the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu Tuesday.

WHO Director Deneral Tedros Ghebreyesus yesterday said they sympathize with the Philippines, especially those affected by the powerful earthquake.

‘My thoughts are with everyone in the Philippines, especially those who have lost loved ones in the earthquake,’ Ghebreyesus said in a social media post. ‘WHO is ready to support the government to meet the health needs of the people affected.’

Meanwhile, the Department of Health welcomed the offer of the WHO to help Cebu during this very difficult time. DOH Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said they would just need to coordinate on the assistance to be sent by the WHO as well as those coming from other international organizations.

‘We were informed not only by the WHO but also by other foreign partners that, if needed, they are ready,’ he said. ‘We are just avoiding for things to get out of hand if there are many people coming in at the same time. So we coordinate everything first and they will come in at a moment’s notice.’

Lawmakers help

The House of Representatives has adopted a resolution expressing its sympathy to the victims of the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu, but was silent on financial aid.

In House Resolution No. 325, authors Speaker Faustino Dy III, majority leader Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos and minority leader 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan urged all members of the House to do their part in helping the victims recover from the tragedy.

‘The House of Representatives extends its heartfelt condolences and profound empathy to the families and loved ones of those affected by this tragedy, and stands in unwavering solidarity with the province of Cebu and all other stricken communities in their time of great need and collective recovery,’ HR 325 read.

Meanwhile, Bagong Henerasyon party-list said it will support moves of the House to pitch in for disaster relief to quake-hit areas.

‘The House often gathers contributions from its members for disaster response and rapid aid. For the coming weeks and months, we will prod the concerned departments to execute governance and business continuity measures, so that the affected barangays and towns are able to recover and rebuild,’ BH party-list spokesperson Bernadette Herrera said in a joint statement with Rep. Robert Nazal.

‘In previous Congresses, the House made sure communities and even destroyed churches were given needed funds for reconstruction,’ Herrera recalled.

Nazal added he will make sure that the 2026 budget will have specific funds for post-earthquake rehabilitation for the towns and barangays that suffered the most in Cebu.

For his part, Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong expressed yesterday his support for the call of President Marcos for an emergency fund for quake victims.

During a visit to quake-hit areas on Thursday, Marcos said he ‘will be going to Congress, the House and the Senate, so they can provide emergency funds.’

‘We are with the people of Cebu in this time of crisis and the House of the People will heed the president’s call to give Cebu the resources it needs to save lives and protect futures,’ Adiong said in a statement.

Airlines join relief ops

Local air carriers Philippine Airlines Cebu Pacific and AirAsia Philippines are preparing to airlift basic necessities, including fresh drinking water and other essential supplies, for the victims of earthquake in Cebu.

Cebu Pacific said ‘we packed more than just relief goods as we also packed HOPE. Thank you for the initiative and making Cebu Pacific Air part of it.’

PAL, together with LT Group, is preparing to airlift basic necessities, including drinking water and other essential supplies, to help sustain ongoing relief operations.

‘These efforts will be undertaken within the capabilities of our available aircraft, as we carry out humanitarian missions alongside our regular flight schedules,’ it said.

AirAsia said it is ‘working with government agencies, NGOs and the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation to help transport emergency medical teams and essential supplies to Cebu. This is to aid in the recovery process, provide comfort and help rebuild lives.’

Meanwhile, Tingog party-list yesterday rolled out its initial relief mission to assist affected families by distributing food packs to thousands of residents.

The government is expected to impose a temporary halt on onion imports by February next year to prioritize the local harvest and safeguard farmers’ incomes without disrupting market supply or burdening consumers.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the suspension would take effect about a month before the peak harvest period to prevent oversupply in the market.

‘For onions, definitely we will stop importation one month before harvest, which is around February,’ Tiu Laurel told reporters on the sidelines of the 47th meeting of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF).

Tiu Laurel explained that imports of white onions began as early as last month, which helped bring down retail prices to about P100 to P120 per kilo from a high of P160 before importation.

He added that shipments of red onions are also expected to enter the country starting Oct. 15 in time to stabilize supply ahead of the holiday season.

The secretary said that prices of red onions spiked to as high as P140 to P160 per kilo in the past week.

This, he said, prompted him to quietly authorize the early entry of shipments to temper the increase.

Tiu Laurel also gave an initial estimate of the red onion imports, saying the volume could range between 3,000 and 5,000 metric tons (MT).

According to the government’s onion industry roadmap 2021 to 2025, efforts are aimed at raising national onion production to 279,270 MT from 229,539 MT by expanding cultivated areas and improving crop yields.

The roadmap said that most of the country’s roughly 35,000 onion farmers grow their crops on small plots averaging 0.5 hectare (ha) per household across select regions.

With such limited land, these farmers primarily rely on family labor, earning around P5,100 per man-day for bulb onions and P2,100 for shallots.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) for 2020 shows the major onion-growing regions in the country are Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and the Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan region.

Bulb onions occupy 79 percent of the total area at 14,453 ha while shallots cover 21 percent at 3,938 ha.

From 2011 to 2020, PSA data shows that production increased at an average annual rate of 10.72 percent, to 229,539 MT from 128,837 MT, while area planted grew by an average of 4.91 percent annually, to 18,391 ha from 14,641 ha.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has ordered Sen. Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero to explain the P30-million campaign donation he received from a contractor during his 2022 senatorial campaign.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia confirmed on Saturday, October 4, that a show cause order (SCO) was sent to Escudero on Friday.

The senator has been directed to appear before the poll body’s Political Finance and Affairs Department on October 13.

The order follows a similar directive issued earlier against Lawrence Lubiano, president of Centerways Construction and Development Inc., who admitted during a House hearing that he donated P30 million to Escudero’s campaign. Lubiano claimed the funds came from his personal account, not from the company.

Garcia said the Comelec is determining whether the donation violated Section 95 of the Omnibus Election Code, which prohibits contractors or entities with government projects from contributing to political campaigns.

”Yan ang pinaka-puno’t dulo ng magiging desisyon ng Comelec,’ Garcia said in an interview on Dobol B TV, referring to whether the donation was made in a personal or official capacity.

Escudero acknowledged receiving the donation but denied any involvement in flood control projects in his home province of Sorsogon or other areas.

Centerways Construction is among 15 contractors previously identified by President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. as having cornered about 20% of the government’s flood control project contracts.

Garcia clarified that Escudero was not being singled out, saying the poll body is also looking into alleged illegal donations received by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte during their 2022 campaign, as well as other names mentioned in the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism report.

Malacañang has said Marcos is open to being investigated over the reported campaign donations.

Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal previously said that soliciting or receiving donations from individuals or entities with government contracts is an election offense punishable by imprisonment and disqualification from public office.

The ongoing investigations also coincide with congressional inquiries into flood control projects after Marcos revealed that contractors linked to several lawmakers had cornered massive government flood control contracts.

Jewelmer, the country’s pride in golden South Sea pearls, recently welcomed the Top 6 finalists of Miss Universe Philippines 2025 to Palawan for an inspiring immersion into the artistry and science of pearl cultivation.

Now in its fourth year as the official pearl sponsor of the prestigious pageant, the multi-awarded Maison showcased its world-renowned pearl farm where the queens, led by reigning Miss Universe Philippines 2025 Ahtisa Manalo, witnessed the intricate, years-long process behind every rare gem. The visit, highlighted by cultural performances from the local community, left the finalists in awe of the dedication, passion, and craftsmanship that make the South Sea pearl truly the country’s treasure.

A night of friendship and flavor

The ever-gracious Nene Leonor hosted a delightful dinner at the famous Shang Palace restaurant in Makati Shangri-La, Manila to celebrate the birthday of the beloved Ambassador Philippe Lhuillier. Surrounded by his loved ones led by his ever-supportive wife Edna Lhuillier, along with esteemed friends and diplomats, the evening brimmed with fun, laughter, and warm camaraderie.

Guests were treated to a sumptuous Chinese lauriat, making the gathering even more memorable. Thoughtfully organized by Gambia Consul Agnes Huibonhoa and Alice Samson, it was truly an enchanting night that celebrated friendship and togetherness.

Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival has ordered the immediate mobilization of city enforcement and engineering teams to crack down on illegal structures and fast-track reforestation efforts inside the Central Cebu Protected Landscape (CCPL).

The directive came during a joint site visit and coordination meeting held the other day at the CCPL Cantipla office, where city officials, representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-CCPL, and the KEEP Forest Foundation mapped out urgent protection measures for the watershed.

The visit focused on strengthening riparian zone protection, accelerating forest rehabilitation, and initiating legal action against unauthorized developments within the protected area. A riparian zone is the stretch of land that borders rivers, streams, and other bodies of water that plays a vital role in maintaining the health of both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

Technical teams from the city and DENR conducted on-site inspections of priority zones and received a briefing on ongoing restoration activities.

A roundtable discussion followed according to the city’s PIO, aligning the roles and schedules of partner agencies and community stakeholders.

KEEP Forest Foundation, a local conservation group active in Central Cebu, presented long-term volunteer maintenance plans and proposals for sustained site care that integrates reforestation, environmental law enforcement, and community education to foster collective stewardship and sustainable development.

A central technical priority identified during the meeting was the issuance of notices of violation and expedited inspections of alleged illegal structures.

Archival directed city teams to coordinate closely with DENR-CCPL to ensure swift legal and administrative action, while upholding due process.

Officials emphasized that enforcement will be paired with community-based restoration and livelihood support to ensure both protection and inclusive stewardship of the watershed.

The collaboration signals a renewed commitment to safeguarding Central Cebu’s ecological integrity through coordinated governance, civic participation, and science-based restoration.

City going after illegal structures in watersheds.

Converge ICT Solutions Inc. has teamed up with the University of the Philippines (UP) to equip computer and engineering students with digital skills for the artificial intelligence (AI) era.

Converge yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with UP for the development of AI talents, as the Philippines gears up for a future dominated by automated systems.

The agreement, which runs for three years, sets up a collaboration framework between Converge and UP with the goal of putting up a dedicated space for innovation in the long term.

The partnership aims to raise the level of education in UP on cloud computing, machine learning, smart manufacturing and digital business.

The program will benefit students taking up computer engineering, computer science, electronics engineering and business administration.

Converge CEO and co-founder Dennis Anthony Uy said the company has decided to work with UP to ensure students are well prepared for the future.

Likewise, the agreement seeks to build the country’s pipeline of tech leaders and talents.

‘This collaboration represents more than skills development, as it is about creating a sustainable pipeline of Filipino technology leaders,’ Uy said.

The partnership is designed for rollout in three phases, with Converge and UP kicking it off with exploratory initiatives and expanding further into integration efforts by 2026.

The first leg of the program will launch a nine-month pilot aimed at graduating students, giving them the opportunity to specialize in AI systems, digital technology and product development.

Uy said the partnership would try to address the knowledge gap between classroom learning and industry application. Students included in the program will be given access to global benchmarks on AI, with Converge supplying educators who can share industry practices.

Later on, the agreement would evolve into an internship model where students can participate in competitions, forums, hackathons and mentoring.

If feasible, Converge also plans to establish an innovation lab in UP devoted to AI prototyping and research.

UP vice president for digital transformation Peter Sy said the tie-up with Converge could become a model of how academe-industry alliances could be shaped in the future.

The Department of Trade and Industry sees AI contributing $92 billion to the economy, making up 12 percent of the gross domestic product by 2030.

Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima and the Makabayan bloc sought a substantial cut in the P903-million proposed budget of the Office of the Vice President for 2026 after Vice President Sara Duterte snubbed the House plenary budget deliberations.

On Thursday, Palawan Rep. Jose Alvarez, who was assigned to sponsor the OVP’s proposed budget, informed the plenary that not a single official of the OVP was present to defend its proposed budget.

Duterte is reportedly in Cebu attending to earthquake victims.

Alvarez told the plenary that Duterte forwarded to him a letter addressed to Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing, chairperson of the House committee on appropriations, where the Vice President listed two conditions for her to attend the budget deliberations.

‘I am seeking the following: 1. The House of Representatives demand the attendance of President Marcos for the P27.3-billion budget deliberations of the Office of the President,’ Duterte said.

She added that she will attend ‘if the committee on good government and public accountability will produce before the plenary schedule, a Department of Justice document confirming that the immigration lookout bulletin order for OVP personnel, namely Atty. Zuleika T. Lopez, Lemuel Ortonio, Atty. Rosalynne Sanchez, Atty. Sunshine Charry Fajarda, Gina Acosta, Julieta Villadelrey and Edward Farjarda, is lifted.’

In response, De Lima said Duterte’s precondition is a disrespect and an insult to the House.

‘Enough is enough, I rise today to express my displeasure, and in due time I will move for the decrease of the budget of the OVP,’ she added.

De Lima said that initially she thought of moving to give the OVP zero budget, but in consideration and out of respect to the OVP’s personnel and staff, she will just propose a substantial cut.

‘Why can she not spare a few moments of her time attending to her official functions as Vice President, to defend the budget of her office? Enough is enough of her brattiness,’ De Lima said.

Act Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio also expressed his dismay over Duterte’s attitude toward the House.

‘I condemn the disrespect of the Vice President to the people, while she expects to get the big budget of the OVP for 2026,’ he said.

Tinio vowed to push for a significant reduction in the OVP’s 2026 budget, cutting it from P902 million to P198 million.

Kabataan party-list Rep. Renee Co also said she will move for the reduction of the OVP’s proposed budget at the proper time.

Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said in an interview with One PH that employees of the OVP may be affected if Duterte continues to refuse to defend the OVP 2026 budget.

‘If she doesn’t want to show up in the plenary debate, that’s up to her… That’s her responsibility because it’s the Office of the Vice President and many people, staff rely on her,’ she said.